Blake Morgan

“Morgan has a voice that was made to be heard on the radio . . . inspired songwriting and passionate performances.”—Billboard Magazine

“My grandfather drove snow plows in the harsh winters of Moorhead, Minnesota during the Great Depression. Two generations later, I’m a recording artist, a record producer, and the founder and owner of a successful, independent, global music company. That’s the American dream.”

Blake Morgan smiles. “This new record has brought me full circle, in so many ways. It turns out I had to build the label of my dreams before I could make the record of my dreams.”

Fighting to realize a dream is in Blake Morgan’s DNA. He seemingly had it all—a multi-album, major-label deal with a music legend in his native New York City. But uniquely, Morgan had the foresight to see he was being taken somewhere he didn’t want to go. “I got off the Titanic just before it hit the iceberg,” says Morgan. “It’s why I survived.” Morgan broke free from the standard corporate music model to build something better: the ideal, modern record label. A decade later he’s done it, and his recent album, Diamonds In The Dark, is the embodiment of that hard-won victory.

Soon after signing a seven-album deal with Phil Ramone’s N2K/Sony label resulting in the critically acclaimed Anger’s Candy, Morgan saw danger ahead. Successful tours and rave reviews earned him a loyal critical and commercial following. But in an era when music careers are written in sand, Morgan says he knew that if he wanted his to last he’d have to find another way. “I knew I had to get off that ship before the disaster hit, even if that meant swimming the ocean by myself until I found my way back home.” Although he was the label’s most successful artist, Morgan saw how precariously the label was positioned. He risked everything, and told Ramone he wanted out of his contract. Prophetically, and only six months after Morgan won his freedom, N2K folded.

“It was so hard, having to let that go. Having to start all over, from scratch. But it’s even harder to have your dream within your grasp only to watch it get mangled because your label has turned into a nightmare. I wasn’t going to let that happen again.” Instead of looking for a new label like so many other artists would have, Morgan decided to do something different. “I went to all the artists and bands I was already producing and recording, and said I was starting a label myself. A label where the artists would run the asylum, and own their own recordings.”

His gamble would be a winning one. Born from humble beginnings in a one-room makeshift recording studio and office and launched on Morgan’s laptop computer, that label has since flourished with Morgan’s own idealism at its core to become the globally distributed family of artists and labels it is today—ECR Music Group.

The acclaim for each of Morgan’s albums, Anger’s Candy, Burning Daylight, and Silencer, has helped fuel the anticipation for his current release, Diamonds In The Dark—an album he feels is both the culmination of the journey he’s taken, and the most visceral and powerful of his work to date. He explains that the first song, “Water Water Everywhere,” was also the first song he wrote for the album. “It’s about someone heading out into a storm, alone and at sea. He’s holding out, he’s holding on, and all the while he’s hoping that something better is ahead.” Laughing, Morgan adds, “Sound familiar?”

In addition to his producing, recording, mixing, and mastering duties, Morgan also performs all the instruments on the new album, except for the drums.

As for the future, and running a global music company while being a recording artist and producer, Morgan has the satisfaction of knowing his dream has become reality. “In order to do right by my own music, I had to build the label first—because there was something bigger at work here than myself. Something worth building, that would define our future. Something my grandfather would have understood and been proud of . . . something worth fighting for.”

“Morgan has a voice that was made to be heard on the radio . . . inspired songwriting and passionate performances.”—Billboard Magazine

“Blake Morgan’s singing and performances are disarmingly unselfconscious.”—The New York Times

“He’s got killer pop-rock instincts, something that leaps out at you . . . as well as a flair for recalling the days of pre-digital sound mixes. He has good reason to be excited here, given the sheer consistency and accessibility of the music . . . a natural when it comes to fashioning sharp melodies and catchy choruses.”—The Washington Post

“Morgan seems to have figured out what so many back-arching singer-songwriters can’t . . . Great songs and great singing is apparently all you need if you have the goods, and there are plenty of goods to be had here . . . with imaginative arrangements that underscore his raw, iconic singing.”—Blender Magazine

“This New York City pop-rocker showcases fine songwriting and vocals.”—The Village Voice

“[Blake Morgan] reminds me of what Emitt Rhodes would have done had he made better choices . . . and Rhodes was slated to be the new McCartney. He never arrived . . . he never got to the finish line. Blake Morgan not only crossed it, but sat down for champagne with the burghers, danced with the ladies, reminisced with the boys, and then called himself in as a stripped down chamber orchestra. Had Rhodes lavished this much attention on his work, he’d be a benchmark for the period rather than a victim of circumstance. In this day of ridiculous and lethal politics, economics, religion, and other toxic substances, we need more of what Blake Morgan ushers forth . . . hell, even if it’s just to dance and dream to.”—Mark S. Tucker, The Buzz About »

“Blake Morgan’s music captures you in the first moments of listening to it. It is magical. Who he is as a musician is layered throughout it—from his classical roots, global interests, life struggles, creative background, and his purposeful way of living. This isn’t music for music sake or for music sales; it is for the soul, from his soul, and is a remarkable display of his level of talent. Diamonds In The Dark is undeniably a rare, audible treasure.”—Vivian Van Dijk, Editor-in-Chief, EyesIn Magazine

**** (Four Stars) “An independent in the best sense of the word . . . Pay close attention; he’s just getting warmed up. You don’t need to read the liner notes to hear the huge Beatles influence from the very first measure. But this music is contemporary and plenty edgy. It’s hard Beatles: freshly perfect harmonies, airy arrangements, meaty hooks. Radio-ready, they’re good to go . . . from the guitar-powered buzz to the disarming vocals. Not a trick is missed. And all to stunning effect. Take note; you’ll be hearing a lot more about Blake Morgan.”—Indie-Music.com

(Editor’s Pick) “Blake Morgan’s knack for sprinkling pop-rock ingredients into a pie that bakes at 400 degrees of sweltering heat producing some of the most delicious bites that a music listener could take is uncanny. While pop’s rock side is a formula that’s well established, Blake deviates from it with nifty verses that are catchier than the choruses and intriguing bridges that call into question the typical rock standard. With exceptional songwriting skills at his side, Blake Morgan has everything that embodies the modern marvel of music mayhem.”—Smother Magazine

What Radio is Saying

“Blake Morgan has the one-two punch most musicians dream of: he is a skilled songwriter with a knack for writing witty lyrics and a talented musician who is at home on a variety of instruments. Combine those forces with his talent as a performer and you have a star in the making.”—Benji McPhail, Music Director – KUNC, Greeley, CO

“Blake Morgan has a clarity to his music that is the hallmark of a true singer-songwriter. His voice rings with the conviction of an artist more interested in making great songs than surfing the latest musical fads. He doesn’t take the easy road and that’s admirable.”—Kenny Carrow, Music Director – KDBB, Park Hills, MO

“Morgan has a soaring pop voice, songwriting and production chops like few others, and he knows how to arrange a song that sounds good on the stereo and on the radio.”—Jeff Raspe, Music Director – WBJB, Lincroft, NJ

“Blake Morgan has a style that he makes his own and a humbleness that really connects with his listeners on a deeper level! At KCLC Blake’s music brings another wonderful track to our line-up!”—Joe Fritz, Music Director – KCLC, St. Louis, MO